Monday, September 11, 2006

HYUNDAI le... warnaaa!!!

India’s second-largest car maker, Hyundai Motor, may follow a market strategy similar to the Ford India formula for positioning its new mid-size sedan Verna, tipped for third quarter launch this calendar.

Sources said the Accent is likely to be placed at the entry level of the C segment, while Verna will be locked in direct challenge with the likes of Honda City and Ford Fusion, just below Hyundai’s premium mid-size offering Elantra. This would give Hyundai a three class offering in the mid-size sedan category covering all price segments.

Compared to the slightly awkward old Accent, the Verna looks sleeker, more contemporary and more grown-up. It's also a good deal larger than its predecessor, and while the Verna is not quite big enough to place it in the class above the Accent, this still means more room for passengers and luggage.For the most part, however, the Verna makes for perfectly acceptable daily transport, which for 99 percent of motorists is absolutely fine. It's near silent at idle, and the 1.6-litre four-cylinder engine makes the most of its 130bhp and 145Nm, delivering decently brisk progress. The four-speed automatic gearbox is smooth enough ordinarily but you need to be careful with throttle inpinputs, calling for a downshift by stomping on the gas can result in a less than perfect gearchange.

U NeeD TO KNoW BOSS:

Hyundai Verna 1.6 (A)

Engine Type 1,599cc, 16v in-line 4

Max Power 112bhp at 6,000rpm

Max Torque 145Nm at 4,500rpm

Gearbox 4-speed automatic

Top speed 176km/h

0-100km/h 12.0 seconds

Overall another market leader ...

But the Q is that whether it will be able to sustain the sales of Accent if accent is faded out of the market?